The original Risen was a curious little beast. In a genre so used to empowering the player, letting one live out heroic fantasies in a world full of treasure, choice, and magnificent deeds, Risen was quite prepared to strip you of your dignity, kick you around a bit, and spit you out a more humble, more shameful, individual.

In many ways, what Risen attempted was admirable. It wanted to make you earn your power fantasy. However, its awkward navigation system, reliance on ambushes, and general imbalance put me off fairly quickly.

In Risen 2: Dark Waters, the ambition remains. So do the problems. This time, however, I couldn't stop playing. Perhaps it was a grudge, a desire to kick the game's arse for a sense of pointless payback. Perhaps it was simply that, despite its problems, Risen 2 still manages to be perversely enjoyable. Most likely, it's both.